


The Life of Death

by GonxKilluaLove



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: AU doesn't really follow canon, Angst, Fluff and Angst, HxHBB18, Killugon - Freeform, M/M, hxhbb, other than the MCD it's fluffy and "rated G", uses it/its pronouns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-05-20 11:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14893847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GonxKilluaLove/pseuds/GonxKilluaLove
Summary: The life as death is a lonely one for the small no-named spirit. Every moment spent with another; a fleeting last moment. One often filled with hopelessness and sorrow, but also comfort and release; all things death is used to. All things death has come to expect from those whose pain and life he’s come to take away.That is until death finds himself face to face with a village boy, named Gon, who appears at the edge of the forest. Surprised by the lack of fear and no trace of pain on that smile plastered face, death ventures closer and an unlikely friendship begins. With a new name and an energetic friend, Killua finds that maybe his life as death isn’t as lonely as he thought it would be. But all of that could fall apart with just a simple touch.





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The life of Death](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/388322) by Marsha Onderstijn. 



> If you would like to get an idea of how the story goes before reading it please watch the video above, but be warned, this video is basically a spoiler for the whole story.

Death, it takes from us, those we love and those we hold dear to us. For some, it comes suddenly, unexpectedly, like a strike of lightning in the night, here for just a moment and then they’re gone. For others, it's a slower ordeal. One where they can tell death is coming and prepare to meet it. 

Some meet death with fear while others welcome it with open arms. There are those who spend their lives running from death and avoiding it at all costs, doing anything and everything they can in the hope that it will never truly find them. Others seek death out, embrace it and even long for it, finding any way they can to bring death to them quicker. 

Then there are some, like the little island boy, who accept death for what it is and still lives life without fear or worry of when death may come, no matter how soon that may be. 

This is the story of Whale island’s spirit of death and the little island boy that lives there. What adventures does life hold for both the living and the life taker?


	2. To The Forest's Edge

A small wisp of feathers and smoke drifted above the forest floor. It slowly made its way through the trees of the island forest disturbing nothing as it passed. It followed no pattern and made barely a sound; unseen and unheard by all creatures whose heart and soul were bright and beating. 

It wasn’t unfeeling. It carried a heavy heart behind its curling smoke and feather cloak. Hiding its face behind a blanch white skull so close to the pale white skin it almost seemed to blend right in.

It glided over the leaf-littered ground until it came upon a fallen bird. It lay almost lifeless splayed out on the ground, wings bent and face wrinkled with the pain coursing through its small body.

The small wisp came to a stop just behind the bird, still floating just a few inches above the ground. It was careful to be quiet as it edged closer to the bird, a hand appearing from within the coal black cloak. It reached down ever so gently and ran its hand across the bird’s spine, stroking the feathers as slowly and gently as it could.

The bird’s eyes slipped closed unaware of the soothing strokes of Death’s palm along its back. Its body quickly grew limp as the pain was whisked away and everything faded to black.

With a sigh, the wisp moved on pulled only by a sense to continue forward. It had a job to do. Not one favored by Death but one it knew was necessary to complete. A job never quite done. For as long as things lived on the island the job of Whale island’s death would never see an end.

So it continued on through the forest, pulled by that sense, that unknown feeling telling Death to continue. The pull lead Death to a foxbear this time. An old grey vixen resting in the grass just outside its burrow. She turned her head as Death came up beside her and gazed at the flowing feathers and bright white skull with a knowing look. She knew it was her time and did not protest when death’s cold, pale hand ran across her back, brushing her fur back idly; soothing the aches and pains of old age. For a moment the foxbear felt as new as a cub again; no pain, no worries, only a sense of wonder at what was to come. But just as quickly as it came, it left. Each stroke of Death’s hand carrying her further and further from this world.

Death brushed its hand through the foxbear’s fur once more as her eyes closed and her head slumped to the ground coming to rest just before the flowers that lined the edge of her burrow. 

With a nod of its head, Death carried on, pulled by that unknown feeling. It moved through the forest back the way it had come. It wove through the branches until it came to a small clearing where a young rabbit laid on its belly chewing on a small piece of clover.

The rabbit’s heart thudded in his chest missing a beat every now and again and beating twice when only once should have been enough. He didn’t hear a sound and would have never known to run as Death’s cold embrace enveloped him with a lone hand covering the whole of his tiny back. With a short squeeze and a light pat to his fur, the rabbit’s world faded to black hardly a month after its world began. 

As always life moved on around them as Death parted ways with a turn of its head and a heavy sigh. Its heart was burdened once more with the death of someone barely brought to life. Someone who had just started to learn what it means to be alive and who hardly had time to enjoy the wonders and happiness that came with living. 

But time doesn’t stop for anyone and for as long as there is life, Death had a job to do. So, it continued on…

The feeling was lighter this time; only a tug, not quite a pull. Someone next on the list, but not quite its time.

Death moved slowly enjoying the fragile moment of peace only the keeper of a small island could be lucky enough to have. Without a pull, there was no job to do. It was one of Death’s favorite things. A time where no life had to be taken and all life on the island could live happily without fear of Death coming to take them away. 

It was spring on the island, hardly a time for Death. A break as new life was brought to the island. Sadly for a few, it would be short-lived, a part of the job, Death hated more than anything. There was rarely any pain or worries to ease from those brand new to the world. All it was taking from them was a chance to live. But no matter the circumstances Death had a job to do.

Death took its time, lingering to watch the animals it came across as it drifted towards the tugging feeling. It floated along until it came near the edge of a small path in the forest; eyes widening as he saw the figure of a human bent over a bush, picking berries as he hummed.

Slowly Death inched closer to the boy, an arm appearing from its cloak as it reached its hand out, ignoring the growing tugging feeling as its curiosity pushed it forward. It tilted its head as it floated to a stop in the middle of the path, just a foot away from the boy.

Suddenly the boy stood up straight, body tense for a moment before he swiveled around on his heels to face Death, surprising it as much as Death surprised him.

The boy stood, eyes wide and face twisted up in a mix of fear and curiosity at the sight of the strange wisp before him. He let his body relax slightly, arm reaching out to meet the strange wisp as his lips began to part, “Who-”

“Gon!”

The boy turned to glance over his shoulder, careful not to take all his attention away from the strange being in front of him. He wasn’t sure if the thing would disappear the moment he looked away; or if it was some sort of predator, that could attack him the moment his guard was down. Either way, Gon wasn’t going to risk it.

A woman with scarlet hair stood on the other edge of the path, basket in hand as she called out again, “It's time to go home. Let’s go before it gets too dark.” She seemed oblivious to the wisp standing in front of him, something Gon instantly took note of. 

Without a thought, Gon turned and started off towards the woman. He made his way over to her before turning on his heel to look back at the creature, half expecting it to have vanished in mid-air or disappear back into the forest from which it had come. He was surprised however to see the creature still standing there, head tilted to the side and arm still stretched out in front of it like it was reaching out to him, calling to him to come back over there. He watched it for a moment as it righted its head and lowered its hand slowly before a smile spread across the boy’s face. He decided to give the strange creature a wave, calling it over to him instead.

It took a moment for Death to realize what the boy wanted from it. The bright smile on his face distracting it from anything his hands were doing. When it understood, Death floated forward eagerly, wanting nothing more than to learn about the strange boy that had entered his forest. The strange boy that could see it.

As Death floated forward its hand brushed a cone of beautiful purple muscari flowers. Within just a few seconds the whole plant had shriveled and died with just one simple brush of Death’s hand. Death quickly pulled its hand to its chest gripping tightly to its cloak as it turned all of its attention to the now dead flower. Its face twisted under the skull mask as it mourned the death of the fragile plant, a life taken much too soon. 

Death sighed heavily as it looked down upon its hands, pale and cold and only good for taking the life of anything they touched. Its heart filled with so much sorrow it could not bring itself to look back up at the strange boy from before. Afterall, if it ventured there all that would await the boy was his death. 

“What are you looking at?” The woman rested her hand on Gon’s shoulder, turning his attention back to her for just a moment, but Gon didn’t waste any time; he quickly turned back hoping the wisp would acknowledge him, but Death kept its gaze to the ground. Gon frowned as he sighed, “It's nothing aunt Mito. I just thought I saw a deer.” He turned towards her, smiling again and lifting up his basket. “Look how many berries I picked for you today! Do you think it's enough for a pie this time?” 

Mito chuckled as she peered into the basket, “It sure does look like enough.”

“Yosh!” Gon swung his basket as he skipped after Mito, down the path and out of the forest, careful not to drop a single berry along the way.

Death finally raised its head and looked up from the ground, only for the boy to be gone. It stayed where it was for only a moment longer before it began to drift down the path, following the tug from before. It followed the feeling through the forest until it reached the end of the path and the edge of the forest.

There, just past the line of trees, laid a huge flowering meadow. A house sat on top of the hill just on the other side, smoke pouring from the lone chimney. Death knew a town lay past the hill, but he rarely ventured there, preferring to stay in the forest where his duties were needed most.

Death hesitated on the edge, unsure of whether or not it should venture out of the forest and follow the feeling across the meadow and to the house or beyond, something it rarely ever had to do. After a moment it decided. It would wait until the tug was stronger, closer to a pull before it ventured out into the open and away from the familiarity of the forest.


	3. To the Brink and Back Again

A scream rose in the distance. A woman’s voice calling out for help, causing lights to flare up in the windows of all of the houses across the meadow, lighting up the night. Death floated past the edge of the forest startled by the noise, but drawn closer by the tugging feeling, now turning to a pull strong enough to nearly drag Death across the meadow to the houses that lie beyond. 

It wasn’t the only one making its way to the house upon the hill. A strange balding man was rushing down a path from the town and through the open door of the house. 

Death quickened its pace and hurried across the meadow and to the house, following the man inside and up the stairs, careful to stay far enough behind him so as not to steal his life away too soon. Together Death and the man made it to the second floor where a woman held a child cradled in her arms. 

The man rushed to her side and kneeled down beside her. He helped the woman lay the child down on his back on the cold wood floor. Tears were flowing down the woman’s red, scrunched up face so it took Death a moment to recognize her. It was the woman who was with the boy in the forest. The beautiful human boy with the sunshine smile.

Death’s gaze returned to the boy, the pull getting stronger and stronger. Its heart burned as it looked upon the boy and realized all too late that this boy was the same boy from earlier. Of course, it was, he was with the woman from before, so why wouldn’t that boy be the same. 

Sadness filled the wisp as it edged closer to the boy, hand slightly outstretched not wanting to take his life, but edged on by the yank of that feeling that told Death it was the boy’s time to go. It sighed as it lowered its hand towards the boys face knowing that this was the right thing to do; ease the boy from his pain and take his life away.

The bald man suddenly took a large deep breath and bent down over the boy’s face, nearly touching Death’s hand, startling it and causing it to quickly yank its hand away. The man pressed his lips against the boy’s and blew air into him for as long as he could before pulling away, only to begin harshly pressing down on the boy’s chest.

Death floated back a foot or so, confused but amazed at what it felt. For the first time since it had come to be the keeper of this island the feeling that led it to the dying was starting to fade. With each and every breath the man gave to the boy and each press to his chest, the feeling grew lighter. 

The yank grew closer to a pull and the pull grew closer to a tug. And a tug it remained as the boy’s eyes fluttered open with a shaky gasp and a tired sigh. The sobbing woman moved to embrace him, leaving Death in a state of awe. It watched as the boy coughed and turned his head only to see it. He smiled brightly at Death, closing his tired eyes as he did so. 

Death thought for a moment that the boy may have died right then, but the tug did not get any stronger and the boy’s chest still rose and fell like it should or rather despite the fact that it shouldn’t be.

“Thank God.” The woman sobbed as she pulled the boy into her lap, “I thought I’d lost you.” She couldn’t stop her body from shaking as she looked at the man. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You saved him. You saved my Gon. If there’s anything I can do to repay you-”

The man shook his head and rested his hand on her shoulder, stopping the woman from saying anything more. “There’s no need Mito. Your boy is the light of this island and every one of us would be devastated to see him go.” He smiled at the pair, “Just make sure he gets some rest and keep an eye on him for now. I’ll be back to check on him in the morning.”

“Of course. Thank you.”

Death watched as the two sat there for a minute, taking just a moment to be relieved. The woman took a deep breath as she tried to slow her tears, gently running her hand through the boy’s hair while smiling at him softly, even through the pain clearly showing on her face.

Slowly they both stood, the woman carefully cradling the boy in her arms. Death followed her as she carried the boy to the edge of the stairs and said goodbye to the man that had saved her boy’s life. Then it floated after her up the second set of stairs to the third floor where she opened the door to a small room. 

She placed the boy on a bed just underneath a window that looked out over the meadow and towards the forest. The boy did not move as she placed a blanket over him and tucked him into bed.

“Gon…” The woman sniffed as she pulled up a chair, “Please get better. You’re all I have and you have so much life to live before… before Death rips you away from me.” Her voice turned spiteful and sharp on those last few words. “I know you can’t hear me right now, but don’t you dare let Death take you away from me.” Her breath hitched nearly turning to sobs and making her words run together as she buried her face in the boy’s chest, “I promise you if you fight right now, I’ll fight for you for the rest of my life. No matter what I’ll be there for you okay.” She finally let herself dissolve into a sobbing mess as she gently stroked the boy’s hair.

Death floated backward, struck by the woman’s words. Every time Death took a life it was simply following a feeling, doing the job it knew it had to do; keeping balance on the island. It didn’t want to take the life of others and when it did, it was simply to release them from their pain or the inevitable suffering they would have to endure should they stay alive any longer. It didn’t even think about those that were left behind. They never really mattered before. It wanted to learn more about this boy who went to the brink only to make it back again and the woman that cared so deeply for him. 

Death moved to the end of the bed watching the two until the woman’s tears stopped and she laid her head down on the bed beside the boy, her breath becoming steady and even. 

It wasn’t sure what it would experience in the future, but Death had all the time in the world to see. Knowing that, Death took one last look at the two before he curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed, wrapped up in its smoke and feather cloak, settling in for the night.


	4. Like a Shadow it Gets Closer

Days past and still Death did not venture far from the strange boy for very long. It still made its way to the forest whenever a new pull arose, but it always ventured back to the boy in the end. 

The boy didn’t seem to mind it much. At first, he simply stared at it curiously, unable to do anything more as he was forced to stay in bed, under constant watch by the woman and occasionally the balding man from before.

Through all this Death just watched. It learned very quickly that ‘Gon’ was not a thing, but rather a name, the boy’s name, and every human had a name of its own. It was very much like the foxbears each having their own slightly different scent to tell each other apart. Death thought it was odd, but interesting in its own way.

It continued on like this for weeks, but by the time a month had gone by and spring had nearly past, Gon was allowed up again. He didn’t take this lightly, spending every moment he could off his bed and out of his room. 

Death followed him around his house always careful to keep his distance. There were a few rooms too small for death to follow Gon into, but when he could be, Death was there. 

“Who are you?” Were the words Gon spoke one night, startling Death from its comfortable spot, curled up on the floor at the foot of his bed. 

“What are you?”

Death peered up over the footboard and stared at Gon, tilting its head in silence. It did not know what to say, or if it could say anything, having never spoken before. Unsure of what to do Death floated closer to Gon, hovering above his bed for just a moment before turning and making its way out of the open window. 

It began its descent to the ground outside but stopped as Gon’s voice called out to it.

“Wait, don’t go!” Gon leaned out of the window looking down at the wisp. “I’m sorry if I bothered you. I won’t ask again if you don’t like it.”

Death shook its head as it turned back to Gon. It had learned a lot about humans, but it knew it didn’t belong there and it did not yet have a way to tell Gon that. So instead it let its hand slip out from beneath its cloak. It pointed at itself before pointing at the forest, hoping Gon would understand.

“You have to go?” Gon frowned, “Will you be back?”

Death shook its head once more still pointing to the forest. It began to descend again, not stopping even when Gon called out to it once more.

“If I go to the forest tomorrow will I see you again?”

Death still didn’t turn back or give an answer as it slowly continued its descent back down to the ground; continuing down the hill and through the meadow back to the safety of the forest.

….................................................................................................................................................

It took a lot of convincing, four days in fact, but finally Gon was allowed to slip on his bright green boots and head out of the door towards the forest. He just hoped that the wisp was still there. He had said tomorrow and tomorrow was three days ago. 

He wasn’t sure why he wanted to see the wisp so badly. Maybe he just thought it was interesting, or maybe it was because it looked like it could be a good friend. Gon wasn’t sure, but something was telling him he had to see it again. So he begged his aunt to let him out, to let him go to the forest to play, so he could have at least a chance of seeing the wisp again. He wouldn’t get to if he stayed cooped up inside all day. Afterall the wisp had said it wasn’t coming back, or at least Gon thought that’s what it had meant anyway. It hadn’t actually said anything at all.

“Be safe!” Mito yelled, her hands tying knots in her apron strings. “Remember to take lots of breaks and drink lots of water.”

“I will aunt Mito!” Gon already had both feet out of the door and was beginning his way down the hill. 

“And be home before dark!”

“I will be, I promise.” Gon laughed as he adjusted the straps on his backpack. He understood his aunt’s worry, but he felt it was misplaced. He felt fine, or well as fine as he could be and it had been weeks since the incident and nothing had happened since. He just wanted to be free to do as he pleased. If it were to happen again, so be it at least he would die having fun and not stuck in a bed.  
Mito stood in the doorway watching after Gon as he made his way down to the forest’s edge. “You better come back safe.” She sighed and finally turned, shutting the door behind her.

Gon wasted no time. The moment he entered the forest he started checking every shadow, every nook and cranny, anywhere the wisp might be. He had so many unanswered questions for the wisp. Where had it come from? Why was it following him for so long? How come only he could see it? What did it want from him? But most of all he wanted to know, why it left so suddenly? 

Death made its way through the forest. It's head hanging low after its last job. A young buck had gotten its foot caught in a claw trap left by some hunters, but a foxbear had gotten to it before the hunters could. It was laying nearly lifeless when Death got to it. It was filled with so much pain it could hardly feel anything at all anymore, only the huge wave of fear that crashed down on it with every passing moment. Death had seen it before and had dealt with worse, but it still saddened it when it had to touch something in so much pain only to bring it death.

It wished it could just ease the pain and suffering and heal the injured and sick so that they could continue living life freely, but it knew better than anyone or anything that's not the way things worked. 

It kept its hands safely tucked away up under its cloak while it wandered aimlessly through the forest, paying no mind to the things around it. That is until something ran full force into Death knocking it out of the air and onto its back upon the forest floor. Death’s first instinct was to pull its hands out of its cloak and push itself up off the ground, but the heavyweight on its chest and the boisterous laughter kept them in place beneath its cloak.

The laughter faded only for a familiar voice to replace it. “I found you!” The weight lifted from Death’s chest slowly, “I knew I’d see you again!” Death looked up to see Gon beaming down at him, smile as wide as ever. “Oh sorry about that. I didn’t mean to knock you over. You’re lighter than you look you know.” He stood and reached his hand out towards Death in an offer to help him up and apologize.

Death’s eyes widened at the offer of Gon’s hand. It very quickly shook its head and floated up off the ground and into an upright position.

Gon frowned but stopped when he noticed the wisp’s mask was slightly askew. He couldn’t see much more than a small lock of snow-white hair and the edge of a frown creasing its pale white cheek, but it was enough to distract him from his gesture being rejected only moments before, but only for a few seconds before he snapped his attention back to now.

“Sorry.” He paused, “You don’t want me to touch you do you?”

Death slowly nodded his head. It was the other way around really, but for now, that was the best way to keep Gon away from an early end. So it agreed with what Gon said even though it turned his beautiful smile into a frown. 

“Do you want me around?” Gon looked down, “I don’t want to bother you if you don’t want me to be. You did leave after all.”

Gon sighed as he pulled into himself, “I’m sorry for bothering you… uh,” He looked to the wisp for a name but was greeted with only more silence. “Well, I guess this is goodbye then.” Gon turned away from Death, but instead of heading towards the meadow and out of the forest to the village, Gon ventured deeper into the forest. 

It only took Death a moment to start following after him. It hadn’t wanted him to go, really. It still wanted to know more about him. It was only confused on what Gon wanted. So it followed him through the forest, making sure to stay far enough behind him at a distance that was safe enough for the both of them. 

It followed Gon all day. Through a clearing where the sun glinted off the crystal flowers, over a log bridge that spanned a river and to a small pond covered in lily pads where Gon stopped for a drink. 

Slowly the gap between Death and Gon grew smaller. Death wanted nothing more than to be closer to Gon, but it was afraid to be. And Gon wanted to have the interesting wisp be his friend and stay by his side.

Gon kneeled down at the pond’s edge setting his bag to the side. He leaned down to the water and scooped some up into his hands, taking a sip before glancing up as a shadow fell over the water and across him.

Death floated down to a rock only a few inches away from Gon and sat down. It looked down at him only to be met with a sly smirk and upon seeing this Death quickly turned away, glad its face was hidden by its mask. 

Gon swore he saw the slightest bit of pink brush the side of the wisp’s face, but for all he knew he could be imagining it. Who's to say he wasn’t just imagining all of this? After all, he had just nearly died. Gon frowned as he finished drinking and sat back, hands holding him up as he looked up through the tree branches and into the sky.

They sat like that for a while, the forest moving around them as they sat peacefully, neither of them saying a thing. Each just as wary, but just as interested in each other as the other was. 

Gon sighed as he opened his backpack and pulled out a small bundle of cloth. Death watched him closely as he unwrapped the cloth to reveal a sandwich neatly cut in half.

“Do you want half?” Gon held out the cloth but stopped when he saw the wisp’s body tense and it begin to shake its head.

Gon pulled his hand back quickly before slowly placing the cloth on the ground between them, taking half of the sandwich before pulling back completely.

“You can have it if you want it.” He motioned to the other half, careful to keep his movements slow and close to him. “I promise it's not poison or anything.” He smiled as he took a bite and turned away, back towards the pond.

Slowly, Death reached towards the other half, looking back and forth between it and Gon searching for any sign signaling it should pull back or move away, but Gon remained seated as still as he could be. After only a bit of waiting Death finally had the other half of the sandwich safely and carefully cupped in its hands. 

Gon watched from the corner of his eye as Death studied the sandwich. He held back a chuckle as it tilted its head, inspecting the sandwich like it was some sort of precious gem, or maybe like it would bite it back. He couldn’t be sure with the mask hiding its face.

“You eat it. You know…” Gon chuckled, turning towards the wisp and moving his half of the sandwich to his lips, “Like this.” He took a bite and chewed slowly, mouth open so it could see.

Death winced at the sight of Gon chewing with his mouth open. It knew what eating was, it just never had to before, and it was more confused about the sandwich itself than if it could eat it. It was a peculiar thing, soft in his hands and lightweight, yet it didn’t wilt or fade away when it touched it, something that told Death that whatever it was made of was already dead, or never alive. Which one Death didn’t know, but it wanted to trust Gon so it did as it was told. Death Gently lifted the sandwich up to its face and brought it forward only for it to hit the front of its mask smearing it with a bit of whatever it was that was inside. 

Gon couldn’t help but to laugh, earning a huff from the wisp, the first noise he’d ever heard come from it at all. 

Death sat there for a moment before it reached a hand up and pulled the mask from its face, causing the hood of its cloak to fall back too, revealing the whole of its head to Gon.

Bits of half-chewed sandwich fell from Gon’s mouth as he took the wisp in. Its face was nearly as pale as the skull mask it had been wearing, but instead of the tar-black eye sockets, there were bright crystal blue eyes, clearer than any water Gon had ever seen. It had pink tinted cheeks and rosy lips that spread into a slight smile as it took its first bite. All of that was framed by snowy white wavy locks of hair as wild as the forest and as messy as Gon’s room. To simply put it Gon thought that the wisp was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

Death took one bite and then another not stopping until the whole thing was gone, but taking its time to savor the flavor of each bite. It looked up to see Gon still starstruck, staring at it mouth agape with bits of sandwich still sitting on his tongue. Its eyebrows scrunched together at the sight before a smile graced its lips and its body began to shake in a silent laugh at the sight.

Gon quickly shut his mouth, cheeks flushing red as he looked away and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve. “Did… Did you like it?” He turned back towards the wisp, clenching his teeth in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

Death stilled and tilted its head for a moment. It had certainly liked it, though it didn’t have anything else to compare it to. It frowned for a moment before nodding its head.

“So you did?” Gon beamed, “Then maybe we can do this again sometime? I can bring something else if you want.” He shoved the rest of the sandwich into his mouth before grabbing the cloth and shoving it into his bag. 

Death nodded again, faster this time and with less hesitation. It knew it did want to see Gon again, there was no doubt about that, and it wouldn’t mind trying more things like that sandwich, even if it didn’t need to eat. 

“Great!” Gon was on his feet, “I’ve gotta start heading back now, but I’ll be back tomorrow?” He grabbed his backpack and waited for an answer.

No words came from Death still, but another nod greeted Gon as he looked up at it.

The smile that graced Gon’s face couldn’t be wiped from it no matter what happened, “I’ll see you tomorrow then!” He waved goodbye as he turned and began to walk away.

Death watched the boy’s back as it disappeared into the thicket of trees. It had been an odd day, a very odd day, but as far as Death could recall, this was the best day it had ever had. 

Even with another pull arising in it, Death wasn’t able to shake the happy feeling welling up within it. But it still had a job to do, so with a shake of its head to clear its thoughts, Death scooped up its mask and fixed it back into place on its face, bringing its hood up to meet it and making its way deeper into the forest towards the pull.


	5. New Friends and Summer Fireflies

It was the end of summer. The leaves were beginning to change colors signaling the start of fall, but the weather was still warm and wet as the rainy season continued on.

Gon still came to the forest every day he could, only kept away occasionally by his Aunt. Not even the rain deterred Gon from spending time in the forest with his new friend.

“We should explore by the cliffs today!” Gon smiled as he briefly looked over his shoulder to make sure his friend was still following him. He usually was but there were a few times his friend wandered off and had have to go looking for him again. “Aunt Mito told me that her and my dad used to play hide and seek out by the cliffs and it sounds like fun.”

Death nodded in agreement as it followed along happily munching on a cookie Gon had gifted it. It was getting a lot more comfortable around Gon, but still kept enough space between them just in case. 

They made their way through the undergrowth of the forest going deeper and deeper until the trees were nearly three times as big around as the both of them combined. Their surroundings grew darker as the branches above them thickened and wove together, shading them with their leaves.

Then there was a break in the trees. The sound of water splashing against rocks alerted Gon and made him change his direction to the right. He walked to the edge of the trees and out into a small clearing upon the cliff’s edge. 

“We made it.” he turned to face death with a slight frown upon his face. Their surroundings did not brighten even as they stepped out of the shade of the trees. The sky was dark, huge grey clouds rolling through the sky overhead, stretching far over the horizon and blending with the dark waters of the ocean. 

Death tilted his head and took the last bite of its cookie before fixing its mask back over its face. 

“This looks bad.” Gon turned back to the sky as a raindrop hit his cheek leaving a trail through the dirt that had collected on his face. “It's starting to rain and this storm smells like a big one.” He started making his way back to the forest. “We’d better go before it gets to wet.” 

Thunder boomed behind them as lightning flashed over the ocean. The two of them made their way back into the forest traveling much faster than before, but it wasn't long before the rain poured down on them. It came down like a bucket being poured, completely soaking Gon to the bone.

“We've got to stop and find somewhere to wait this out.” Gon’s teeth chattered, “we won't make it back home for a while.”

Suddenly the rain stopped. Gon looked up to see his friend floating a few feet above him, arms outstretched and cloak spread wide shielding Gon from the rain.

Gon smiled as a shiver ran through him. He was cold and wet and he knew his friend would be too, or at least he thought his friend would be. He quickly looked through the trees until he saw an old hollowed out tree, with a great big hole near the base. It looked big enough for the both of them to fit in, he just hoped it would be dry enough for them too.

Gon hurried towards the tree, with Death close behind trying its best to keep up with him and continue to shield him from the rain. It only took a moment for Gon to crawl inside the hole. It was warm and dry just like he’d hoped it would be.

Death floated outside of the entrance unsure of what to do. It was awfully tight in there, still enough room, but not enough to be able to stay at a distance. 

“Come on. You don't want to catch a co-” Gon sneezed loudly startling Death. But Death was more concerned than scared.

It came closer, tucking its hands beneath its cloak and shaking off some of the rain before entering the hole.

Gon smiled as he wiped his nose on his sleeve. He pulled his knees into his chest to stave off the shivering that wracked his body. He was careful not to get too close to his friend because he knew it didn't like that, but it made him feel alone in the storm.

He tried to ignore it, but the colder it got the harder it was too. “Thank you.” Gon looked over to the wisp, pulling his knees up to his chest and crossing his arms over them in an attempt to keep warm. “For,” his teeth chattered, “for blocking the rain for me.”

Death looked up and shook his head. It was the least it could do for all the food Gon had given it. Besides, it knew that living things were fragile and it didn't want Gon to get sick because of the rain.

It got quiet again. Nothing but the rustling of leaves being blown to the ground by the wind and rain, and the sound of thunder filling up the silence. 

“Can I ask you a question.” Gon looked down at his feet, not wanting to meet the wisp’s eyes. “I know I've asked it before, but who are you?” He looked up now to see the wisp tilt its head. 

It wasn't sure what to do. It stayed silent and unmoving for a moment before it shifted into a position much like Gon’s, knees to its chest, but slowly it moved its hands out from underneath its cloak. It lifted its mask from its face and set it to the side, careful not to touch the tree or anything around it. 

Gon sat up a little straighter, body, mind, eyes, and ears all at full attention. He watched as the wisp reached forward slowly to a small green leaf sitting on the ground between them. His heart was racing unsure why he was so excited over such simple movement but at the same time knowing it was because it was the most he's ever gotten out of his friend.

Death carefully picked up the small green leaf in its hand, holding it in between them, for only a moment before the leaf browned and crumbled into nothing. 

Gon frowned as the leaf disappeared and his friend looked away. “Oh.” He was quiet for a moment, looking down as he pulled into himself a little more. “I mean…” he sighed then looked back up to the wisp, whose face had a look on it sadder than Gon had ever seen. “I think..., I guess I already knew.” he smiled at the wisp, “but that doesn't change anything.” He let his legs fall to the side as he maneuvered to sit cross-legged. “I don't care if you're Death you're still my friend.” 

Death looked up at Gon. The boy that never ceased to surprise him. First, he comes back from the brink of Death and now he's calling it his friend. Death couldn't help but let a slight smile tug at its lips.

“But that still doesn't answer my question. Who are you? Do you have a name I can call you?” 

Death shook its head and shrugged. It had many names people called it, but Death was more its job than who it was. It didn't have a name and never had a need for one before. Names were a human thing after all.

Gon frowned again finger and thumb coming to cup his chin as he tilted his head. “Well if you don't have a name then I can give you one... if that's okay?”

Death shrugged as it nodded its head. If Gon wanted to give it a name then he could. It didn't mind one way or another.

Gon looked at Death, his friend and really looked at it. Its snow white hair and killer blue eyes. It was like he was looking at the moon reflected in the water. Something so beautiful but untouchable. 

“How about Killua?” Gon waited as Death thought it over. He could sense the hesitation in its decision. “I think it sounds pretty. It’s Kill to represent what you are and Lua from Luna the moon cause…” Gon’s face tinted pink, “The moon is really pretty and you, well you are too…” He turned his eyes down to the ground as he started to pick the mud off his green boots.

It wasn't a bad name, Death could at least say that, though it was unsure if Kill would be good in a name. It didn’t kill anything really, just helped them pass on, but it shrugged anyway and nodded its head. It’d be lying if Gon’s shy smile hadn’t played a part in its acceptance.

“Okay then.” Gon smiled, “Killua it is then.” 

Killua was still for a moment. That smile making it forget any worries it might have had over its name. “K-" Killua frowned, the noise sounding foreign even to it. 

Gon grinned, “Killua.” he said it slower this time sounding out each syllable. 

Killua watched every movement of Gon’s lips intently trying to memorize how they moved so it could copy him. It wasn't sure why it wanted to, but at this point, it wasn't sure why it did anything that had to do with Gon.

“Ki-... Kil- lua.”

“You did it!” Gon was mesmerized by the sound of Killua’s voice. It was quiet, soft but a bit hoarse and somehow it fit perfectly with it. 

“Killua!” It was a bit louder this time, excited and happy. “G-Gon!” It smiled at Gon making Gon’s cheeks flush red, the blush reaching all the way to his ears. 

“T-that's right. I'm Gon and you're Killua.” Gon was absolutely ecstatic. So much so that he hadn't noticed the rain slowly coming to a stop and the sunlight beginning to trickle in from above.

The two talked back and forth for a while. Slowly and carefully Gon mouthed each new word making sure to say it over and over until Killua could copy it perfectly.

Hours flew by without either of them realizing it. It was only when the sky began darkening once more that Gon realized the rain had stopped. 

“I wonder when that happened?” Gon laughed. He crawled out of the hole and waited for Killua to do the same. “Come on I've got something to show you if the sky is clear.” 

Killua followed Gon out of the hole and back the way they had come from earlier. They made their way to the cliff not silently this time but loudly talking to each other as they walked side by side. It wasn't really much of a conversation though. Killua mostly parroted Gon, but Gon didn't mind. Killua’s voice was beautiful. There wasn't another sound like it on Earth and Gon wished he could hear it all the time. 

The sun was nearly set causing the sky to fill with purple and orange tinted clouds as the sun disappeared from the sky. They made their way to where they had originally been heading earlier that day. When they got there the last bits of light were flickering out over the horizon. Gon sat down in the small clearing near the edge of the cliff, beckoning Killua to sit beside him. 

“Look.” Gon motioned to the sky. One by one stars began to appear until the whole sky was lit up once more, but this time by the light of the stars and the moon beginning to rise in the sky.

Killua smiled as its eyes followed Gon’s hand to the sky. “Pretty.” Killua pulled his mask from his face once more and set it on the grass between them. 

Gon looked over to Killua, “Yea. The stars really are pretty.” but to Gon Killua’s eyes were prettier than any star he’d ever seen. 

Something zipped by Killua’s face taking Gon’s attention away from it. A bright green lightning bug came to a stop, landing in Killua’s hair. Gon moved a hand instinctively to brush it away, startling Killua.

“S-sorry. You had a bug.” Gon pulled his hand back. 

Killua stayed still, unsure of how to feel. It knew only its hands brought death, but it still didn't feel okay with being too close. “Okay, no more please.” 

“I won’t, sorry.” Gon scooted away a bit.

“You okay. I’m bad.” Killua furrowed its eyebrows as it tried it's best to explain. “My hands hurt so no touch.” 

Gon nodded, “You're saying if your hands touch me, I'll be like the leaf right?” 

“Yes. Like leaf.” Killua felt relieved for the first time in a while. Gon understood now. He knew it wasn't his fault, but its fault instead.

“Okay, then we just have to be careful of your hands.” Gon grinned a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Lightning bugs began to rise up from the grass and flowers around them, flying up into the sky together blending in with the stars and lighting up the night. A few came to rest in Killua’s hair, the light reflecting off it making it shimmer like the moon attracting the bugs to it. Killua shook its head making the lightning bugs fly up like a crown above it. 

Gon smiled and reached out once more, slowly but more deliberately, running the tips of his fingers over the side of Killua’s face brushing a lock of hair out of its eyes. Killua’ looked up at him, eyes wide, but not moving away this time. Gon’s freckled face turned scarlet under Killua’s gaze. He quickly moved his hand away and turned to look back up at the sky.

“The moon is beautiful isn’t it!” Gon laughed awkwardly, “I wish this night would last forever!”

Killua smiled along with him. It was the first time it had really stopped to look at the moon and the stars like this. It really was beautiful and so were all the lightning bugs. 

And Gon… Gon was something else entirely. He was bright and radiant like the sun. Warm as the summer breeze and so full of life. And his smile… It was, well Killua didn’t have the words for it yet, but seeing it made it happier than it had ever been.

And so Killua too, did not want this night to end.

They stayed there together up upon the hill all night, talking and laughing and just being happy to be with each other. Wanting nothing more than for the sun to never rise.


	6. Winter is the Season of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have art for this story! 
> 
> Since this was part of the HxHBB18 I have the art from that which you can view via this link:  
> http://kiekyun.tumblr.com/post/175349383889/aahhh-my-piece-for-the-hxhbb18-for-kirugon
> 
> However, there was also a fan of this work that liked it so much they decided to draw a piece for it! You can view that via this link here:  
> https://chickennuggethunter.tumblr.com/post/175464462562/a-fanart-for-arellaarts-s-fanfic-the-life-of
> 
> I'd like to thank both of the artists so much for their works~ I love them a lot and I hope my other readers will enjoy them as well! It means a lot to me that people would take the time out of their day to draw something for this story so thank you <3
> 
> And if anyone else would like to draw or create something please just @me or tag me on Tumblr with Arellaarts on insta with Arella3 twitter @ArellaBailey or Deviant art at Arella1 (though I'm brand new on Deviant art and idk how it works lol) If you post on Tumblr I will reblog all of your art onto my art blog where I post my art and stories.

As winter came, and snow began to lightly cover the ground, Killua got busier and busier. It was cold, wet and food was scarce. A time when many, both creatures of the forest and human's lives would come to an end. After all, winter is the season of Death. 

Gon would still come to visit as often as he could, and when he did, he came bundled head to toe in silly outfits that were made to keep him warm. Killua thought it was odd that humans didn't grow their fur out for winter like the animals did, but he enjoyed seeing Gon wobble around because his clothes were too thick.

“Stop laughing!” Gon puckered his lips and raised his fist into the air at Killua who floated just out of his reach above him.

Killua grinned, face bare of the skull mask it had moved to the back of its head. “You rolled all the way down the hill like a snowball.” Killua laughed again, “And now you are one.”

Gon’s cheeks burned bright as he worked on brushing off the snow that had gathered on him from his tumble. He really did look like a snowball, covered head to toe in snow and as round as a ball with all the clothes Mito made him wear. “Whatever." He rolled his eyes and grinned as an idea came to his mind. He turned away from Killua, pretending to pout as he continued to brush the snow off him, but instead of letting it gather on the ground, he collected it in his gloved hand and compressed it until he had the perfect snowball.

“Take that!” Gon spun on his feet and hurled the snowball right at Killua, hitting it square in the face. 

The surprise attack and force of the snowball sent Killua flying out of the air and onto it's back in the snowy field. 

Now it was Gon’s turn to laugh, and laugh he did until the favor was returned. Snowballs flew through the air, some hitting their targets, but most missing entirely and splattering the snowy field with tiny mounds of snow. 

They ran around each other throwing snowballs for what felt like ages before Gon collapsed out of breath on his back. “Time out, time out.” he laughed as he raised his arms and waved them in defeat before stretching them out to his sides.

“Give up?” Killua grinned from above him. 

“Never!” Gon flung some loose snow at him, only for it to stop halfway, gravity forcing it back down onto his face. Gon sputtered and coughed as Killua laughed, but Gon’s coughing went on a little longer and was a little harder than it had been before.

“Are you okay?” Killua floated a little lower, unsure of what to do, but Gon quickly flipped back over with a grin on his face. 

He tossed some more snow, but this time some of it managed to lightly hit Killua before falling to his chest. Gon looked up at Killua with a smirk plastered on his face, “Gotcha!” 

Killua rolled its eyes and grinned too, “You got more on you.” 

“Whatever.” Gon yawned as he stretched his arms out on either side of him. The snow was cold and wet on his back and he was starting to feel it even through the layers of clothing Mito put on him, but he couldn't be bothered to get up just yet. Instead, he moved his arms and legs back and forth in the snow below him.

Killua cocked its head to the side, “What are you doing?”

“Making a snow angel.”

“A snow angel?” Killua floated closer, inspecting the snow around Gon. “I don't get it.”

Gon laughed but kept at it. “You can try too if you want. You just have to lie on your back and move your arms and legs like this.” 

“Okay…” Killua arched an eyebrow at the invitation but reluctantly followed suit.

They laughed as they used their arms and legs to push the snow away creating the snow angel. 

“Now you just hop up!” Gon pulled his legs up over him and tried to use his momentum to flip himself up, but to no avail, the weight of his soggy clothes keeping him down.

Killua laughed as he floated up and over to Gon, sticking his tongue out when he was above him. 

“Help me uuuuppppp!” Gon whined as his lips pursed into a very convincing pout. 

Killua bit its lip and looked at its hands, unsure of what to do. Slowly it floated closer to Gon and tentatively touched his jacket. When it didn’t crumble or cave under its hand it took ahold of it with both hands and laughed as it whisked Gon into the air and away from his pattern in the snow. 

“Woah!” Gon gasped as he looked down on the snow angels, a good ten feet below him. “This is so cool!” 

Killua chuckled as he slowly lowered Gon to the ground.

“You're so lucky you get to fly up like that whenever you want!” Gon began to brush the snow off his back revealing just how wet his clothes were. He tried his best to hide his shivers as he looked up at Killua. 

Killua shrugged, “It's normal. I can go up as far as I’d like.” As if to prove that point Killua shot up into the air going only as far as it could while still being able to see Gon below it. It smirked down at Gon before looking off into the distance. 

From up here, it could see most of the island. Where the forest met the fields and where the fields met the village Gon came from. It was a beautiful island, even when most of the trees were bare and the ground was covered in snow. 

Killua looked out over the sea only to see a huge mass of clouds rolling over the horizon in the distance. A sight that could only bear bad news for the island and only mean more work for Killua. It hated storms like this, especially in the winter. It quickly floated back down to Gon.

“You went so high!” Gon buzzed with energy, even as he sniffed and rubbed his already too red nose. But he stopped when he saw the frown creasing Killua’s lips. “What’s wrong?”

Killua pointed North towards the only slightly cloudy sky. “Big storm is coming.” 

“Really?” Gon frowned. “I should've smelled it.” He sniffed loudly before sighing, “I guess my nose is too cold.” He laughed, “But if it's coming soon I should tell Aunt Mito and everyone.” 

Killua nodded and looked towards the sky, “Really soon.” 

Gon frowned. He shivered and folded his arms together, hugging himself to try and keep warm. “That’s not good.” Gon coughed, before looking back to Killua. “I guess I should head home soon then.”

Killua nodded as it turned its head away from Gon and towards the forest. “Yea, very soon.” A new pull was starting to tug at Killua pulling its attention away for a moment.

“You've gotta go too huh?”

Killua sighed, “I do…” 

“Okay.” Gon smiled, “If it’s a bad storm then you better keep warm.” He reached up and untied his scarf from his neck. The bright scarlet fabric was soft and warm in his hands. He held it out to Killua, “Before you go, take this. It'll help.”

Killua slowly reached out, careful not to touch Gon, and took the scarf. “Thank you, Gon.” It smiled as it wrapped the scarf around its neck twice and buried its nose in it. The fabric smelled like Gon and made its cheeks heat up at the thought. “It is warm. Thank you.” 

Gon beamed. “I’m glad you like it! It’s yours to keep so don't worry about returning it. But…” For once Gon was glad for the cold, his already nearly frostbitten red cheeks didn't look much redder when he blushed. “If you want and have time, you can still come visit during the storm.” He coughed into his glove. “It’ll be fun!”

Killua smiled and nodded, “If I have time.”

Gon beamed, “I sure hope you do!”

“Me too.” Killua returned the smile for a moment before it frowned again, the tug was turning into a strong pull. “Gotta go.” Killua waved as he began to float away, “Bye Gon, good luck!”

“Bye!” Gon waved back before heading up the hill to his house. 

….................................................................................................................................................

Gon ran as quick as he could back up the snow covered hill to his house. He knew if the storm was coming soon, he’d have to let everyone know. The sooner, the better or else they all risked dying of the cold or starvation. And from what Killua had said, there really wasn’t much time left before the storm hit. 

“Mito! Aunt Mito!” Gon came bursting through the door, not stopping to shut the door or take off his shoes. He ran up the stairs dragging snow into the house and spreading it all over. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Mito rushed out of the kitchen and met Gon at the top of the stairs. Her eyes were wide with worry, her hands gripping tightly to her skirt. “Gon, what’s going on?”

Gon stopped, out of breath at the top of the stairs. He did his best to catch his breath and stop his chattering teeth before he spoke. “Th-There’s a really, really big storm coming.” He looked up to see the worry melt away from Mito’s face only for irritation to spread across it. 

“You scared me half to death Gon. And just over a storm?” She chopped him on the head and sighed, “And you’re soaking wet, look at my floor.”

Gon peered down at the puddle beginning to form under his feet, “Sorry, Aunt Mito. But it's gonna be a really bad storm, and it's coming soon. We need to get food and stock up on firewood.”

“You’re right we do, but we have been preparing for the winter all month Gon. It’s hardly something to cause a ruckus over.” She waved at him to go back down the stairs. “For now, we have to get you out of those wet clothes so you don’t get sick.” She sighed, “Honestly, I thought I said to stay warm.”

“Sorry, Aunt Mito.” Gon made his way back down the stairs, shutting the door and taking off his shoes and jacket.

Mito moved past him to grab her jacket and lace on her shoes. “I’ll go warn everyone in the village and grab some more food to stock up on, okay?” She waited until Gon nodded his head, “I want you to clean up all this slush and then warm up by the stove. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.” Gon smiled before leaning in to give Mito a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t stay out too late, the storm is coming soon.”

“I won’t.” Mito smiled back as she ruffled Gon’s hair, “I’ll be back before you know it.

With that Mito was out of the door. Gon watched her until she was far down the path and out of sight before he shut the door and began working on cleaning up his mess.

It only took a few minutes before he had everything cleaned up and was changed into a fresh set of dry clothes. He hung his wet clothes in the kitchen near the stove to dry, stoking the fire every once in a while to keep it going and keep himself warm. 

After what seemed like ages, but was probably only an hour or so, Gon was finally warmed up. His teeth no longer chattered and his cheeks and nose were no longer a rosy red. 

He wished that there was more he could do. He knew Mito was out getting food, and they had plenty of firewood he had helped collect, but just warning his aunt about the coming storm didn’t seem like enough. There had to be something he could do. But what could he do?

Like the sparking wood in the fire, an idea finally popped into his head. He could ready the house for the storm. While Mito was away Gon could cover all the gaps in window frames and set up the beds in the kitchen where it would be warmest and safest to be. So with his newfound way to help, Gon set about making sure his house would be ready to weather any storm.

….................................................................................................................................................

Mito returned with baskets of food, enough to last them a week or two if needed. Enough to see them through a long storm, especially on top of what they had already had. A gift, Mito told him, from the villagers for warning them about the raging storm to come. Something they didn’t question once they heard the warning had come from Gon. If he was anything like his father, the villagers knew it was a warning that could be trusted. 

And sure enough, by nightfall, the winds had risen and the snow began to fall in sheets, covering the ground in several feet of snow, in less than an hour. Anyone caught outside would be buried in an instant, soon to be greeted, Gon knew, by his best friend, Death. 

Gon and Mito sat huddled together in the kitchen, lights dimmed and the eerie sound of the wind howling around them. Their only comfort being each other and the warmth of the stove.

“It was really smart of you to set this all up for us.” Mito pulled Gon in closer to her, making sure he was wrapped up well enough in the blanket. “And I’m so proud of you for blocking off all the gaps in the window frames by yourself. I don’t think I would’ve gotten them done in time.”

“I wanted to help.” Gon smiled and looked up at Mito to see her returning the smile. “And I thought the beds in here would be warmer than last winter when we spent it in your room.” 

“Yea,” Mito laughed, “You’re probably right, but my room is the first to see the sunshine every morning, and the best to tell when the storm is finally over.”

“Yea but you can just walk to your room to check later.” Gon puffed up his cheeks before sticking his tongue out at her.

She laughed and ruffled Gon’s hair, “What other wisdom do you have in there?” 

Gon knew she was teasing, but bought into it anyway, “I have lots!”

“Oh, yea?” Mito mused, “Like what?”

Gon was silent for a moment, trying to think up something on the spot was hard, and when his brain couldn’t pull up something he knew Mito didn’t already know, he relented, “Just stuff.”

Mito chuckled and pulled Gon in closer, kissing him on the forehead. “I know you do. You’re the smartest kid I know.”

“Hey!” Gon squirmed in her embrace, “That’s not fair, I’m the only kid you know!”

Mito let a small laugh escape her lips as she tried her best to seem serious, “Touche, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”

Gon sighed and leaned into Mito’s embrace letting her hold him properly again, “I guess.”

“It's time for us to try to get some sleep.” Mito maneuvered their blankets so that they could lay down, without too much warmth escaping.

“Okay,” Gon yawned, “Time to sleep.”

….................................................................................................................................................

Several days past and the snow piled up outside, blocking in the residents of every house in the village. There had been a few breaks in the storm. A few short hours where Mito thought maybe the worst of the storm had passed, but then without warning the winds started up again and a new wave of snow blew in from the skies over the sea.

Gon was bored out of his mind. It had been at least five days, maybe six, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he had nothing to do, and he was tired of hearing Mito’s stories for the hundredth time in a row. He hadn’t heard anything from his friend, but he knew it must be busy. 

He couldn’t imagine what life must be like for the animals who didn’t hibernate through the winter. If it wasn’t for Killua, Gon might have ended up like them; cold, alone and frozen in the forest, or starving because the food rations ran low.

Even still, the house was cold. It was buried nearly up to the roof with snow, blocking out what little sun they could occasionally get and chilling the house as if it were in an ice box. The only place warm enough to be in was the kitchen, snuggled up to each other and the stove. Despite the extra layers and blankets they used, Gon still found his teeth chattering and breath coming out in a fog.

Any time Gon had to leave the kitchen, for the bathroom or to fetch something from another room, he felt as though his fingers and toes might freeze off. Even so, Gon did his best to stay strong and pretend he wasn’t so cold, for Mito. He didn’t want her to worry over him. Besides he knew there wasn’t much that could be done about the cold anyway.

Midday was the warmest, only slightly so, but enough that Gon could find himself out of the kitchen and in his room, even if just for a moment of privacy away from his aunt to change his clothes and grab anything he might want for the rest of the day or night. 

It was also his only time to check for his friend. His window and the window in the guest room on the third floor were the only ones that were not yet covered by the snow. It was amazing, the storm. The way the wind blew the snow in twists and turns like it was dancing in the air. For a moment Gon wondered if there was a spirit for the snow too. It was possible, he mused, but would it be as nice as Killua? He doubted it, with the way the wind rattled the window and the snow beat down on the house.

Gon turned away from the window, sighing, but his sigh turned into a cough. It was strong, wracking through his body and forcing him to curl in on himself. He knew he didn’t feel good and was probably getting sick, but he didn’t expect to see his hand stained red when he pulled it away from his mouth. His eyes were wide, hand shaking as he reached to an old towel to clean his soiled hand. 

He looked up, something catching his eye, drawing it back towards the window. A black shadow with a gleaming white skull.

“Killua!” Gon smiled as he moved towards the window, bloodied towel still gripped in his hands. He wiped his mouth and quickly shoved the cloth in his pocket before reaching the window, hoping Killua didn’t see it through the foggy glass.

With a quick flick of the lock and a heave, Gon had pushed the window up, just far enough for his friend to squeeze in if it wanted to.

“Killua!” Gon repeated now that he could be heard, “You came!”

“Yea, I can’t stay long though.” Killua frowned as he hovered just outside the window.” The strong wind was cold against its back, but it didn’t bother it much. It could tell, though, that Gon felt the cold much more.

Gon shivered but didn’t move away from the window. “That’s okay,” he said between chattering teeth, “I know you’re busy. I’m just glad you did come by.”

“I just wanted to check on you. Are you doing okay?” Killua moved its mask away from its face, placing it on the window sill. Doing so let its hood fall back to reveal its snowy white hair and rosy cheeks, nearly the color of the scarf he wore around its neck that was mostly hidden by the cloak.

Gon smiled at that. He was glad his friend kept the scarf and was using it too. “It’s been a bit cold.” Gon shrugged. “But other than that I’m fine.” He didn’t meet Killua’s eyes but kept the smile plastered on his face. “Why?”

“I just had a feeling something was off. Just a little one.” Killua pushed its bottom lip up as it thought, “Maybe like you might have falled or hurt yourself a small amount.” 

Gon shook his head, “Nope.” He gestured to himself, “I’m perfectly fine. Thanks for checking on me though.”

“Okay.” Killua smiled, “Good.”

The two talked for just a few minutes, cold wind beating harshly against the house, blowing snow in through the window. Killua tried to block it, but there was only so much it could do.

After a few minutes, Killua felt another pull causing him to frown and draw his attention away.

“Yea, Aunt Mito has a lot of stories, but not enough.” Gon sighed, “I’ve heard all of them at least a million times by now.” He looked up from his hands to see Killua turned away, attention elsewhere. “You’ve got another one huh?”

“Yea.” Killua frowned. Gon could see the crease between its brows as it tried to hide its worry and sadness. “More than one.” It gingery picked up its mask turning it over in it hands and readying it for its face. 

“Okay.” Gon smiled, moving closer to the window, “Go help those who need to be let go.”

“Let go?” Killua raised an eyebrow.

Gon’s smile turned more tender if it even could, “Yeah, you know.” Gon rested his hand on the window sill, “They need to be let go from this world, from their pain and suffering so they can have a chance in their next life. That’s what you do right? Help them let go.”

“I…” Killua studied its mask, “I, yea, I guess I do.”

“Then you better go.” Gon moved his hands, readying them to pull the window shut, “I’m sure they need you more right now.”

“Yea.” Killua smiled, “You’re right. I’ll be off then.”

“Good luck!”

And with that Killua moved his mask back onto its face, pulling up its mask to meet it before floating off with a wave, back towards the forest and back to work, leaving Gon at the window.

It wasn’t sure how Gon had done it, but for once maybe Killua didn’t hate its job. After all, it was just helping those whose time it was to go, to let go and move on to its next life.

Gon closed the window, brushing off the snow that had managed to make it in through the gap. His shirt was wet and he knew he should change clothes before Mito saw him looking like that.

He took the bloodied towel and hid it under his mattress, careful that it wouldn’t be seen, before turning to his closet to change.

He was glad the storm would be over soon. He knew it’d be a few more days, but the sooner he could get out of the house the better. Being cooped up inside all day sucked and he longed for the freedom of being out in the forest with Killua again. 

Plus, he thought as he pulled a new shirt over his head if he stayed in here any longer he really would get sick. But for now, all he could do was wait and watch the storm pass by.

….................................................................................................................................................

Mito walked up the stair to Gon’s room. He had been up there an awfully long time and she couldn’t help the worry that grew and welled up inside her with each passing minute. She stood outside the door hand poised to knock but frozen still as she heard Gon’s laugh on the other side of the door. 

He was okay and that thought melted the worry in her heart, his laughter bringing a smile to her face instead. It was hard to hear over the wind, but it sounded like he was talking to himself. But, Mito realized, the way he was talking sounded much more like a conversation.

“Yeah.” His laughter sounded, “She does still make me dress up like a ball.” His next words were silenced by the storm, but then a long silence followed before he began to talk again.

He really was talking to someone. She thought of opening the door, but she knew he would hear her and stop what he was doing. Still, she needed to know he was safe.

“Then you’d better go. I’m sure they need you more right now.” Mito frowned at Gon’s words. He was saying goodbye to whoever he was talking to. 

A shiver ran up her spine. Maybe it was a ghost. Honestly, sometimes she was sure her mother’s ghost haunted the house. She decided then, maybe she didn’t want to know. Afterall the less she knew about possible ghosts the better.

Mito turned on her heel and decided to head back down to the kitchen. If Gon brought it up then she would ask, if not then she would only ask if he started acting strangely. For now, though Mito thought it might be best to just keep away from that. He’d tell her if he needed to right?

Mito shook her head to clear her thoughts as she began the preparations for lunch. Stopping only to greet Gon as he came downstairs with a fresh set of clothes. There had been nothing wrong with the set he put on this morning. Strange, she thought, but not strange enough she decided. Frowning as she sighed, Mito went back to chopping up potatoes. 

This was going to be a long storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm sorry these last two chapters are a bit late. I've been super busy with school and I have tests all week. The last chapter will be out very soon!


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